The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)

The eccentric members of a dysfunctional family reluctantly gather under the same roof for various reasons.

Director:

Wes Anderson

Writers:

Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson

Stars:

Gene Hackman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anjelica Huston

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 10 wins & 45 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gene Hackman	...	Royal Tenenbaum
Anjelica Huston	...	Etheline Tenenbaum
Ben Stiller	...	Chas Tenenbaum
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Margot Tenenbaum
Luke Wilson	...	Richie Tenenbaum
Owen Wilson	...	Eli Cash
Bill Murray	...	Raleigh St. Clair
Danny Glover	...	Henry Sherman
Seymour Cassel	...	Dusty
Kumar Pallana	...	Pagoda
Alec Baldwin	...	Narrator (voice)
Grant Rosenmeyer	...	Ari Tenenbaum
Jonah Meyerson	...	Uzi Tenenbaum
Aram Aslanian-Persico	...	Young Chas Tenenbaum
Irina Gorovaia	...	Young Margot Tenenbaum (as Irene Gorovaia)

Storyline

Three grown prodigies, all with a unique genius of some kind, and their mother are staying at the family household. Their father, Royal had left them long ago, and comes back to make things right with his family.

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Plot Keywords:

family relationships | forbidden love | unconventional family | eccentric family | lesbian kiss | 

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Taglines:

You Are Invited To A Remarkable Family Gathering.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language, sexuality/nudity and drug content

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brian Tenenbaum: Who plays one of the paramedics, was a college friend of Wes Anderson, Owen Wilson, and Luke Wilson at the University of Texas. Anderson made a film about his name, because "I just like the name." Brian Tenenbaum's sister is named Margot.

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Goofs

After Royal has Etheline sign papers, the notary is supposed to stamp them, but it is visibly obvious that the notary is just lifting his stamp up to the papers but not actually pressing down or stamping anything.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Royal Tenenbaum bought the house on Archer Avenue in the winter of his 35th year. Over the next decade, he and his wife had three children, and then they separated.

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Crazy Credits

The film title first appears on a library book being checked out, then several of the books are seen, and finally the book cover becomes a title card.

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Alternate Versions

Three different songs were used for the final sequence at various points. Some advance screenings (including the New York Film Festival version) featured the Beatles' "I'm Looking Through You" (not the "official" version, but rather the alternate version available on the "Anthology 2" CD set), while others used the Beach Boys' "Sloop John B." The final version of the scene is accompanied by Van Morrison's "Everyone."

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Connections

Referenced in Behind Enemy Lines (2001)

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Soundtracks

She Smiled Sweetly
Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Published by ABKCO Music, Inc.
Performed by The Rolling Stones
Courtesy of ABKCO Records

User Reviews

Easily one of the best films of recent years.

Wes Anderson's previous two films, Bottle Rocket and Rushmore, while both enjoyable, are overshadowed by The Royal Tenenbaums. The Royal Tenenbaums is a richly textured, layered film that yields something new upon each viewing. Every character is intriguing. The film's dialogue is amazing, and illustrates the fact that Wes Anderson and Owen Wilson (who co-wrote the film) have a deep-seeded understanding of basic human nature and a flare for subtle humor. The cast is stellar, and the performances are arguably these actors' best. After watching it so many times, it's hard for me to accept that Ben Stiller isn't really Chas Tenenbaum, and that Gene Hackman isn't actually Royal. The Royal Tenenbaums is a must-see.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

4 January 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Royal Tenenbaums

Filming Locations:

U.S. Customs House, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$21,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$276,981, 16 December 2001

Gross USA:

$52,364,010

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$71,441,250

Company Credits

Production Co:

Touchstone Pictures, American Empirical Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1